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# Apprentices For Your Saga

#### by Brian Fourdraine

The copyright of this article remains with the original author. Articles may be copied or distributed freely for personal non-profit use, provided that the author is properly credited.

Apprentices, sample apprentices. Fun to be had getting them; each is fully described in game terms and background. Currently there are only 2 on this list. Adventures and game threads are likely to arise from attempting to take these characters as apprentices, but read on for the details. The names chosen for these two apprentices are German, but they can essentially be put anywhere in Mythic Europe with the right name.

## Heinrich

Heinrich, Age 8 (Unknown what his original name - if any - was.)

Intelligence | +3 |  | Speak German | 4
Perception | +1 |  | Herbalism | 2
|  |  | Folk Magic | 2
Strength | -2 |  | Second Sight | 2
Stamina | +1 |  | Occult Lore (Diabolic Rites) | 2
|  |  | Stealth (Hide) | 2
Presence | -1 |  | Concentration | 1
Communication | +1 |  | Athletics (Running) | 1
|  |  | Brawl | 1
Dexterity | +1
Quickness | +1

#### Virtues & Flaws

Folk Magic +2
Greater Herbalism +2
Second Sight +1
(Latent Magical Ability +2)
Deep Sleeper -1
Low Self-Esteem -1
Diabolic Upbringing -2
Plagued by Demon -4
Uncommon Fear: Being Restrained -1
Totals: +5 (+7) and -9
Expect Low Self-Esteem to change.

#### Heinrich's Darker Past

A local cult of Devil worshippers became visible when they started attempting to subjugate the countryside, and became a serious threat to the entire populace. There was no church nearby, and the local faeries just ran when this threat became apparent (perhaps because they were smart), so the village cunning women (3) teamed up with a wandering spirit master and rallied their village against a dark stone complex from which reeking vapour poured forth (everybody is pretty sure it was a "church" of the Devil).

The battle was brutal and unnatural, with two frightening demons appearing to help defend their stone compound, but with the aid of a summoned salamandrus and a smoke drake the villagers were able to win against the diabolists. When the battle was all over, the spirit master and Glenda (Heinrich's current mistress, a cunning woman) went inside the dark stone complex to look for victims, and found a frightened boy tied up and about to be sacrificed, as well as several evil relics (which they destroyed). The poor boy was the son of one of the diabolists, and was already seeing things that few others could.

He didn't know what his name was, so Glenda named him Heinrich and took him on as an apprentice; he has trouble dealing with the local children because of his peculiar personality (he grew up too fast) and distrustful air, but everyone in the town basically likes him or at least pities him his cruel beginning. He's been an apprentice to Glenda for the past two years and has been making progress, indeed he seems to be very talented and is gradually adjusting to real life, thanks to the aid of a pendant with some vervain flowers inside.

#### Story of his taking as a Hermetic Apprentice

Since he can't be bargained for, the Magus & party will just have to sneak into the open hut of Glenda during the night and take him away, or steal him while he's getting ingredients in the field. (Neither of which are hard, and the player should realize this. He won't be very happy though.) When grabbed/picked up/whatever his pendant breaks and drops into the grass and his guardian spirit disappears with it, leaving him open to the powers of hell once again.

On their way back to the covenant the magi & co are addressed by a band that want "their" child back, and are willing to use force to get him. Needless to say their force then is quite inconsiderable to any wizard who considers themself ready for an apprentice, but they'll be back to haunt the covenant later with backup....

Now the magi have the infernals, normals and hedge wizards of that area against them, and a not particularly cooperative apprentice whose magical abilities are already partly moulded (although he can learn hermetic magic and keep his current abilities, becoming a VERY potent potion maker with access to {nearly} unlimited vis for making potions - with SG approval of course). To boot, he'll start getting evil visions in his sleep. Great risk and potential; definitely a story seed.

## Fitz

Fitz, Age 10 (Only known name as well, these apprentices don't keep parents very well.)

Intelligence | +2 |  | Speak German | 4
Perception | +1 |  | Athletics (Running) | 1
|  |  | Awareness (Searching) | 1
Strength | -3 |  | Climb (Walls & Buildings) | 1
Stamina | +1 |  | Stealth (Urban Areas) | 2
|  |  | Ledgedemain (Pick Pockets) | 1
Presence | +1 |  | Guile (Fast Talk) | 1
Communication | +1 |  | Charm (First Impressions) | 1
|  |  | Folk Ken (Townsfolk) | 1
Dexterity | +2 |  | Thrown Weapon (Rock) | 1
Quickness | +2 |  | Brawl (Dodging) | 1

#### Virtues & Flaws

Light Sleeper +1
Light Touch +2
(Latent Magical Ability +2)
Compulsion: Klepto! -1
Uncommon Fear: Town Guardsmen -1
Uncommon Fear: Clergy -1
Haunted -2
Dark Secret: Has religious gold statuette -1
Totals: +3 (+5) and -6

#### Story of his taking as a Hermetic Apprentice

Spotting the magi on his way to the marketplace to steal some food, he recognizes instantly that they're not from around there, and that they would make easy targets. First, he begs and gets whatever he can that way... then he goes for anything remotely valuable which he can take from the least observant one, and if it's sufficiently valuable he'll try for more. Eventually he's caught after yelling out loud (at empty air), "Will you bloody well be quiet grandma? Go away!" The magi instantly recognize him as either a thief (if they're into things) or as a potential apprentice when they stare at him. Then he goes and runs away.

Seeing as how big the city is, the characters begin to go looking, until they (1) look in the right place (the poor quarter) or (2) see "Bruno" the assassin lazily tossing and catching a dagger in a shadow (by the point, and it's got a brownish crust on it of dried poison).

(2) Someone either clued in or completely out of it asks him if he knows where this little kid who looks like... uhm...
"You've got to be more specific if yer requesting my services. My fee is two silvers whatever you want me to do to him, but you've got to tell me which him or I'm not going to waste my time. Shall we do business in my office here?"
He leads them into an alleyway where several others are also lazily tossing daggers similarly and asks for a description of him. When the characters don't give a very good description, he asks, "I'm sorry but your description without a name isn't very helpful. There are enough little kids by that description that I could be looking for days and still find ones I hadn't seen before. So unless you're decent painters or wizards who can create a nice magical picture in the air, I kindly invite you to get lost before we decide to gut you."
The player who starts chanting in Latin and casts an image makes them all stop flicking daggers in the air (they all drop into the dirt simultaneously) and one of them says, "Uh, could you teach me how to do that? I'd get lots of money for it in the square." "Never mind that... you want us to give you Fitz? He's just become a member of the guild! We don't turn on guild members for mere gold, even if we dislike the guild member, you know. Breaking theives' honour is not something we're willing to do, unless you don't plan on harming him or anything, so tell us what you want with him or we simply stuff you full of daggers on the spot."
--- Let the players sort this one out, it'll be lots of fun to GM a bunch of mundanes who know (think) they can kill the wizards in a blink of an eye. Occasional interjections by the one who wants to learn how to cast illusions are quickly shushed by the leader, who gets increasingly irate. He's willing to let the party have him as an apprentice for a "small" sum of cash, he just wants to be sure that he's not going to be mistreated (thieves' honour prevents me from doing THAT dear wizard)...

(1) The much better solution involves them looking in the poor quarter and accidentally running into Fitz. He tries to sneak past the characters, but they all go cold on the side that's towards him and he breaks into a run yelling, "Thanks a lot you stupid ghost!"
Unfortunately for Fitz, the alley he turns down is a dead end, and he doesn't have his climbing gear. He picks up some rocks and hears the players coming, whom he has pegged as clergy. He goes into a crying fit.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know that the statue meant something. How was I supposed to give it back? Please, you're men of God, show me God's mercy!"
--- Latin does not equal Priests: Fitz learns this quickly.
"Whaddaya mean you're not priests, you worship the devil then?!? God save me!"
--- He's got the players' stuff, and the gift. Time for magi to just take him by the scrough of the neck, tell him he's got a choice: Become an apprentice in compensation for theft and wasting their time, or get dumped at the local church and take whatever the priests give him for punishment. He really has no choice. There is one little thing though... what about that gold statuette which he couldn't sell? Bring it up with much "umm"ing and "uh"ing. Should be quite funny. Once he's got it he'll talk about his membership in the thieves' guild, and that he's behind on his dues so isn't allowed to travel (not true)....
Then he'll talk about his old grandma (dead) who he steals to provide for, and that he wants to leave her with something....
--- If the players stop him anywhere along this track he'll realize they're not quite so dumb as just not people of the city, and suddenly gain respect for them. If they offer to give back the statue for him, he'll be very wary - it's a religious artifact (with no faith points) and solid gold, so he might be less than trusting in the morals of strangers.

Either way, the thieves' guild of this town will want to send a representative with the players as they leave town, to check on how Fitz is doing (and to establish another branch office...) and won't take no for an answer. As a guild, it's their duty to see him protected until he fully enters a line of work (yeah right). In reality, the thieves are trying to expand their territory, connections, and network, and are using keeping an eye on Fitz as an excuse, although they are moderately concerned about his wellfare (what if they're devil worshippers?). Chances are likely that the characters gain a new covenant member; this is a good way to introduce a thief companion. (Any thief characters at the covenant will suddenly be pressured to pay back dues to the guild, but that's another story, right?)

There's also the matter of his dead nagging grandma who henpecks him - even in death. She is more annoying and moralistic than anything else, and actually makes a good conscience for the boy, and his thieving ways. She can't do much except nag and chill people around him, although she has a HIGH magic resistance. If he loses his kleptomaniac tendencies, she'll likely disappear, provided he isn't doing anything else overly bad.
She will appear as an elderly but tall and straight lady in a very clean and well-mended dress - hazy and misty of course - and have a talk with his parens-to-be, and will need to be convinced these magi aren't devil worshippers. She's very open minded - especially for a ghost - which means that as long as the players don't absolutely alienate the woman she will agree to let it happen, as long as they all have a chat once a month. Phrases like, "Don't you lie to me! I know when you're lying!" and, "I'm only trying to raise you/my grandson proper!" should figure heavily in her speech; she verbally beats people into giving her straight answers and she has LOTS of patience. She isn't aware that she's dead, although she is aware that something is different about her. Advise the players that they think it best not to try to discuss her state of mortality. (She would go nuts and berzerk - slowly - if she couldn't cling to the illusion she was still alive.)